System and method for switching system among plural wirelessly coupled input/output devices using a single wireless audio switching dongle

ABSTRACT

An information handling system having an audio switching dongle operatively coupled to first wireless speaker and microphone device, the audio switching dongle further including an audio switching dongle wireless radio system operatively coupled via a first Wi-Fi protocol wireless link to transmit and receive the audio data on an active audio data stream with the first wireless speaker and microphone device and a second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with the second wireless speaker and microphone device in standby, the audio switching dongle wireless radio system to receive a switching command from the second wireless speaker and microphone device pursuant to a user switch input from a user, and a controller integrated circuit to activate the second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link to transmit and receive the audio data of the active audio data stream and to transition the first Wi-Fi protocol wireless link to standby.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to wireless speaker andmicrophone devices, such as earbuds and headphones. More specifically,the present disclosure relates to an audio switching dongle coupled toan information handling system or integrated into the same, operatingindependently from the information handling system operating system (OS)for orchestrating switching of an active audio stream between aplurality of wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to clients is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing clients to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling may varybetween different clients or applications, information handling systemsmay also vary regarding what information is handled, how the informationis handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated,and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed,stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systemsallow for information handling systems to be general or configured for aspecific client or specific use, such as e-commerce, financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems. The information handling system may includetelecommunication, network communication, video communicationcapabilities, and audio capabilities. The information handling systemmay be operatively coupled to one or more peripheral input/outputdevices such as a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, display device, wearableperipheral device, touchpad, speakers, earbud, headphone, microphone, orother peripheral devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements illustrated in the Figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relativeto other elements. Embodiments incorporating teachings of the presentdisclosure are shown and described with respect to the drawings herein,in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an information handling systemoperatively coupled to an audio switching dongle orchestrating wirelesscommunication with plural wireless speaker and microphone devicesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a graphical diagram illustrating a wireless speaker andmicrophone device wirelessly connected to an audio switching dongleoperatively coupled to an information handling system according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a graphical diagram illustrating an audio switching donglewireless coupling with a plurality of wireless speaker and microphonedevices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a graphical diagram illustrating a wireless speaker andmicrophone device transceiving audio data on an active audio data streamaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a graphical diagram illustrating an active audio data streamhanded off to a second wireless speaker and microphone device accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of orchestratingtransceiving audio data on an active audio data stream among a pluralityof pre-set wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devicesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of automatically andseamlessly handing off an active audio data stream from a first to asecond wireless speaker and microphone device according to an embodimentof the present disclosure.

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings may indicatesimilar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description in combination with the Figures is provided toassist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The descriptionis focused on specific implementations and embodiments of the teachings,and is provided to assist in describing the teachings. This focus shouldnot be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of theteachings.

Users of information handling systems such as smart phones, tablets, orlaptops may employ a plurality of wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., earbuds, headphones, smart speakers, laptops, tablets)located remotely from the information handling system to transmit andreceive streaming audio data such as streaming music, streamingpodcasts, phone calls, or online meetings (e.g., through Zoom®, orMicrosoft® Teams®). An active audio data stream may begin with theinformation handling system or a first wireless speaker and microphonedevice (e.g., earbuds) acting as the primary point of input (e.g., via amicrophone) and output (e.g., via a speaker) for the user. The user maywish to shift the active audio data stream to another wireless speakerand microphone device (e.g., smart speaker such as Alexa® Echo® orGoogle® Mini-Home®) as the primary point of input/output within the sameactive audio data stream.

Existing systems may require the user to perform one or more steps via agraphical user interface (GUI) at the information handling system inorder to handoff the active audio data stream between wireless speakerand microphone devices in such a way. This may be required due to thefact that the information handling system may establish a separatewireless link for each of the wireless speaker and microphone devices,and hands off active audio streams by moving transmission of that streamfrom one wireless link to another. Thus, in order to switch betweenwireless speaker and microphone devices, the user may need to select,via a GUI, which wireless speaker and microphone device (and itscorresponding wireless link) to handoff the active audio data stream. Insome cases, the user may also have to provide some form of input via oneor more of these wireless speaker and microphone devices in order toperform such a handoff, such as initiating a wireless coupling sequenceat the wireless speaker and microphone device. Performing these stepsvia the GUI of the information handling system or the wireless speakerand microphone devices in such a way may distract the user from theactive audio stream (e.g., call, meeting, or session), and could resultin failed wireless couplings, dropped calls, or a pause or gap in theactive audio data stream during switchover negatively impacting userexperience. A solution is needed to allow users to handoff active audiodata streams between multiple wireless speaker and microphone deviceswith minimal user input.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system in embodiments of the presentdisclosure, operating at an audio switching dongle operatively connectedto an information handling system address these issues by providing anautomatic method for handing off active audio data streams such ascalls, meetings, or sessions from one wireless speaker and microphonedevice to a second wireless speaker and microphone device without theneed for user input or use of the operating system (OS) at theinformation handling system through which the active audio data streamwas initiated. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system of the audio switching dongle maywirelessly couple with multiple wireless speaker and microphone deviceswithin communication range of the information handling system, such asearbuds, headphones, smart speakers, other information handling systems(e.g., smart phones, laptops, tablets). Upon such an initial, pre-setwireless coupling session, the Wi-Fi switching dongle control systemoperating at the audio switching dongle may establish wireless linkswith each of the wireless speaker and microphone devices, and transmitan instruction to each of the wireless speaker and microphone devices toinitiate a standby or low-power mode. Each of the wirelessly coupledwireless speaker and microphone devices in embodiments may remain insuch a standby mode, in which their respective radio systems may processonly minimal data packets (e.g., control instructions from the audioswitching dongle, push notifications, e-mails), until the audioswitching dongle selects one of the wireless speaker and microphonedevices for transmission and receipt of an active audio data stream(e.g., streaming music, podcasts, Wi-Fi or cellular calls, onlinemeetings, etc.).

Following such preset wireless couplings between the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device and the information handling system,between the audio switching dongle and each of the plurality of wirelessspeaker and microphone devices, a later active audio data stream may beinitiated at the information handling system. For example, a call,online meeting, streaming audio or other audio data stream may beinitiated. In embodiments described herein, the audio switching dongleoperatively coupled to the information handling system may select afirst wireless speaker and microphone device, which may be set tostandby mode, to transmit and receive data within the active audiostream via a first, pre-established wireless link, such as utilizing aWi-Fi protocol or proprietary Wi-Fi protocol. The audio switching donglein embodiments may then transmit an instruction to the first wirelessspeaker and microphone system to disengage the standby mode and allowthe radio system at the first wireless speaker and microphone system tobegin transceiving the active audio data stream without restrictions(e.g., restrictions on packet type or power consumption at the radiosystem related to the standby mode). Each of the remaining wirelessspeaker and microphone devices in embodiments may remain incommunication with the audio switching dongle on parallel wireless linkswith the audio switching dongle, and also remain in standby mode suchthat the radio systems of each of these remaining devices does nottransceive audio data on the active audio stream.

A user may indicate a desire to switch the active audio stream from thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device to a second wirelessspeaker and microphone device in embodiments, by providing user inputvia a user interface (e.g., button, switch, capacitive or resistivetouch switch, or voice input) at the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device. In embodiments described herein, the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device may transmit a switching commandinstruction to the audio switching dongle to switch the audio datastream to the second wireless speaker and microphone device via thesecond, parallel wireless link, previously established between thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device and the audio switchingdongle. For example, this may be a second, parallel Wi-Fi link. TheWi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at the audio switchingdongle may consequently transmit a first stand-by command or instructionto the first wireless speaker and microphone device to ceasetransmission and reception of the active audio data stream by placingits radio system in standby mode, and transmit a second activationcommand or instruction to the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice to disengage standby mode and to begin transmission and receptionof the active audio data stream. These instructions to enter ordisengage standby mode in embodiments described herein may be generated,processed, and transmitted via firmware instructions processed bymicrocontrollers of the audio switching dongle and processed at themultiple wireless speaker and microphone devices, respectively, invarious embodiments described herein. As such, selection of andswitching between the multiple wireless speaker and microphone devicesfor receipt and transmission of the active audio data stream, asdescribed herein, may be performed independently from processing of OSinstructions at a processor of the information handling system. In sucha way, the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at an audioswitching dongle operatively coupled to the information handling systemand at a plurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices inembodiments of the present disclosure may allow a user to seamlesslyswitch between these wireless speaker and microphone devices as theprimary source of input/output during an active audio data stream,without interacting with the OS or a GUI of the information handlingsystem.

FIG. 1 illustrates an information handling system 100 according toseveral aspects of the present disclosure. In particular, in theembodiments described herein, an information handling system 100includes any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operableto compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate,switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, oruse any form of information, intelligence, or data for business,scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, aninformation handling system 100 may be a personal computer, mobiledevice (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone), a server(e.g., blade server or rack server), a wired or wireless docking stationfor an information handling system, a consumer electronic device, anetwork server or storage device, a network router, switch, or bridge,wireless router, or other network communication device, a networkconnected device (cellular telephone, tablet device, etc.), IoTcomputing device, wearable computing device, a set-top box (STB), amobile information handling system, a palmtop computer, a laptopcomputer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, an augmented realitysystem, a virtual reality system, a communications device, an accesspoint (AP), a base station transceiver, a wireless telephone, a controlsystem, a camera, a scanner, a printer, a personal trusted device, a webappliance, or any other suitable machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine, and may vary in size, shape, performance, price, andfunctionality.

In a networked deployment, the information handling system 100 mayoperate in the capacity of a server or as a client computer in aserver-client network environment, or as a peer computer system in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. In a particularembodiment, the information handling system 100 may be implemented usingelectronic devices that provide voice, video or data communication. Forexample, an information handling system 100 may be any mobile or othercomputing device capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentialor otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further,while a single information handling system 100 is illustrated, the term“system” shall also be taken to include any collection of systems orsub-systems that individually or jointly execute a set, or multiplesets, of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

The information handling system 100 in an embodiment is operably coupledto an audio switching dongle 130, which may orchestrate seamless handoffof active audio data streams between or among a plurality of wirelessspeaker and microphone devices (e.g., 180 and 190) in an embodiment. Theaudio switching dongle 130 in an embodiment may house a microcontroller150 executing firmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system 140 in an embodiment. The audio switching dongle 130 maybe operatively coupled to the information handling system 100 throughinsertion of the audio switching dongle 130 within a USB port or otherdata port of the information handling system 100 in an embodiment. Inanother embodiment, the audio switching dongle 130 may be incorporatedwithin the housing of the information handling system 100, such asintegrated a part of a wireless network interface device 160, andoperatively coupled to the bus 108 of the information handling system100 through one of several means for transmitting data, includingconnection through a USB hub, a Thunderbolt hub, or any other type ofdata transfer hub known in the art.

The audio switching dongle 130 in an embodiment may be coupled to one ormore wireless speaker and microphone devices 180 and 190 capable ofwirelessly receiving and transmitting audio data, such as a voice callor streaming audio content (e.g., podcast, music, etc.) via Wi-Fiprotocol wireless links with the wireless speaker and microphone devices180 and 190 and the audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199. Insome embodiments, the wireless speaker and microphone devices 180 or 190may comprise a wearable hearing device that a user may position in oraround the user's ears, such as earbuds or headphones. In otherembodiments, the wireless speaker and microphone devices 180 or 190 maycomprise a smart speaker system (e.g., Alex® Echo® or Dot®, or Google®Mini-Home® devices), or a tablet, desktop, or laptop computing device.Information handling system 100 may be any information handling system,such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop, used with a wireless speakerand microphone device 180 or 190.

The audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 in an embodimentmay be capable of communication between the information handling systemand the wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone device 180using a wireless link established using Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication(NFC), or Bluetooth® technology such as Bluetooth® or Bluetooth LowEnergy protocols, for example. The audio switching dongle wireless radiosystem 199 in an embodiment may transmit and receive informationnecessary to wirelessly couple the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 180 with the information handling system 100, such as, forexample, wireless communication profiles for the information handlingsystem 100 and particular to the wireless speaker and microphone device180. Such wireless communication profiles may operate to identify thewireless speaker and microphone device 180 as a device authorized totransceive data with the information handling system 100, as well asinformation sufficient to identify the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 180, such as a Media Access Control (MAC) address, IP address.The wireless communication profiles in an embodiment may further storevarious types of information necessary to perform a handshake between atleast one wireless speaker and microphone device 180 and the informationhandling system 100, such as various public keys, private keys, hashingalgorithms, short-term keys, long-term keys, or encryption/decryptionalgorithms.

The audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 may provideconnectivity of the audio switching dongle 130 operatively coupled tothe information handling system 100 to one or more operatively coupledwireless input/output devices such as wireless speaker and microphonedevices 180 or 190, such as earbuds, headphones, smart speakers,tablets, laptops or desktop computing devices, as described in greaterdetail herein. For example, the audio switching dongle wireless radiosystem 199 may establish a first wireless link directly to the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 180, another, parallel wirelesslink directly to the second wireless speaker and microphone device 190,or any number of additional parallel wireless links to additionalwireless speaker and microphone devices in an embodiment. Further,wireless links may be established among the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices 180 and 190. Such wireless links may be establishedpursuant to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy® (BLE) protocols, orNFC for example. In some embodiments, the Bluetooth® protocols or BLEprotocols (e.g., protocols established under the Institute of Electricaland Electronics Engineers protocol 802.15.1) may be used to establish aPrivate Area Network (PAN) (e.g., 170) in which the information handlingsystem 100 may communicate wirelessly with any wireless speaker andmicrophone devices (e.g., 180 and 190) paired to the PAN 170 using aBluetooth® compliant wireless communication profile. The PAN 170 in suchan embodiment may communicate data between the information handlingsystem 100 and any wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., 180 and 190) over short distances using Ultra HighFrequency (UHF) radio waves in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medicalpurposes bands (ISM bands) between 2.402 and 2.48 GHz. Reference toBluetooth® may refer to either or both of the Bluetooth® or BluetoothLow Energy (BLE) and any revision of those protocols.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, the audio switching donglewireless radio system 199 may operate two or more wireless links. Inother aspects of the present disclosure, the audio switching dongle 130may include a plurality of audio switching dongle wireless radiosystems, each capable of establishing a separate wireless link to one ofthe plurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 180),such that the audio switching dongle 130 may be in communication with aplurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 180 and 190)via a plurality of wireless links.

The audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 may operate inaccordance with any Wi-Fi data communication standards. To communicatewith a wireless local area network, standards including IEEE 802.11 WLANstandards, IEEE 802.15 WPAN standards, or similar wireless standards maybe used. Utilization of radiofrequency communication bands according toseveral example embodiments of the present disclosure may include bandsused with the WLAN standards which may operate in both licensed andunlicensed spectrums. For example, WLAN may use frequency bands such asthose supported in the 802.11 a/h/j/n/ac/ax including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi6e. It is understood that any number of available channels may beavailable in WLAN under the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands which may beshared communication frequency bands with WWAN protocols in someembodiments. In an embodiment, the audio switching dongle wireless radiosystem 199 may operate in accordance with a modified Wi-Fi datacommunication standard, such as a proprietary version of the Wi-Fistandard or a future version, where, for example, additional metadataand command data exchange capacity are provisioned between the wirelessspeaker and microphone device radio systems and an audio switchingdongle wireless radio system for control and management of pluralwirelessly coupled devices to the audio switching dongle.

The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium thatincludes instructions, parameters, and profiles 154 or receives andexecutes instructions, parameters, and profiles 154 responsive to apropagated signal, so that a device connected to the audio switchingdongle wireless radio system 199 may communicate voice, video or data tothe audio switching dongle 130. Further, the instructions 154 may betransmitted or received via various wireless links established betweenthe audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 and a plurality ofwireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 180 and 190). The audioswitching dongle 130 may include a set of instructions 154 may includefirmware or software that may be executed to cause the audio switchingdongle 130 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-basedfunctions disclosed herein via a microcontroller chip 150 for acontroller integrated circuit. For example, instructions 154 may includea particular example of a Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140, orother aspects or components. Application instructions 154 may alsoinclude any application processing drivers, or the like executing oninformation handling system 100 or audio switching dongle 130.Instructions 154 may further be executed as any software applications,operating systems, application programming interfaces, drivers or thelike on the information handling system 100.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140 may utilize acomputer-readable medium 152 in which one or more sets of instructions154 may operate in part as firmware instructions executed on the audioswitching dongle 130. The instructions 154 may embody one or more of themethods or logic as described herein. For example, instructions relatingto the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140, firmware algorithms,processes, and/or methods may be stored here. More specifically,instructions 154 may be executed by the processor 101 or otherprocessing resources such as an embedded controller (EC) ormicrocontroller integrated circuit 150 to wirelessly couple the wirelessspeaker and microphone device 180 with the audio switching dongle 130.Such instructions 154 when executed may cause transmitting wirelesscommunication profiles for the information handling system 100 andreceiving wireless communication profiles for the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 180 at the audio switching dongle 130. Theinstructions 154 may further operate to perform various types ofhandshakes or encryption/decryption using various public keys, privatekeys, hashing algorithms, short-term keys, long-term keys, orencryption/decryption algorithms stored in the shared wireless couplingor wireless communication profiles. Via the audio switching donglewireless radio system 199, in an embodiment, the microcontrollerintegrated circuit 150 may execute code instructions 154 of the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system 140, such as via firmware, to establisha wireless link for transceiving audio data from the informationhandling system processor or data bus on an active audio data streamwith one of a plurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices(e.g., 180 or 190) at any given time.

Memory 109 located and controlled by the audio switching dongle 130 maycontain computer-readable medium (not shown), such as RAM in an exampleembodiment. An example of memory 109 includes random access memory (RAM)such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), non-volatile RAM(NV-RAM), or the like, read only memory (ROM), another type of memory,or a combination thereof. The instructions, parameters, and profiles 154of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140 may be stored in memory109 on a computer-readable medium 152 such as a flash memory or magneticdisk in an example embodiment. Portions of the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system 140 may operate at the audio switching dongle 130 or ateither wireless speaker and microphone devices 180, 190 or somecombination in various embodiments herein. In an example embodiment,computer readable medium 152 in an embodiment may store wirelesscommunication profiles for identifying the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 180 as a device authorized to transceive data with theinformation handling system 100, as well as information sufficient toidentify the wireless speaker and microphone device 180, such as a MediaAccess Control (MAC) address, IP address. The wireless communicationprofiles in an embodiment may further store various types of informationnecessary to perform a handshake between the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 180 and the information handling system 100, such asvarious public keys, private keys, hashing algorithms, short-term keys,long-term keys, or encryption/decryption algorithms. The wirelesscommunication profiles wireless speaker and microphone devices 180, 190enable parallel wireless links to be maintained and transitioned betweenactive or stand-by modes while also providing for exchange of commandcommunications with the audio switching dongle 130.

After an initial pre-set wireless coupling process between the audioswitching dongle 130 and a plurality of wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., 180 and 190), the microcontroller 150 may execute codeinstructions 154 of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140 toplace wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices instandby mode. For example, the microcontroller 150 may instruct theaudio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 in an embodiment totransmit a standby command to each of the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices (e.g., 180 and 190). Each of the wirelessly coupledwireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 180 and 190) in such anembodiment may remain in such a standby mode, in which their respectiveradio systems may process only minimal data packets (e.g., controlinstructions from the audio switching dongle 130, push notifications,e-mails), until the audio switching dongle 130 selects one of thewireless speaker and microphone devices for transmission and receipt ofaudio data on an active audio data stream (e.g., streaming music,podcasts, Wi-Fi or cellular calls, online meetings, etc.) established bythe information handling system 100.

The network interface device 160 in an embodiment may establish awireless link with the network 170 to conduct an active audio datastream from a remote source such as an ongoing call, virtual meeting, oraudio streaming from an online audio streaming service. The informationhandling system 100 may include a memory 102, (with computer readablemedium 152 that is volatile (e.g. random-access memory, etc.),nonvolatile memory (read-only memory, flash memory etc.) or anycombination thereof), one or more processing resources, such as acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), aVisual Processing Unit (VPU) or a Hardware Accelerator, any one of whichmay be the processor 101 illustrated in FIG. 1, hardware or softwarecontrol logic, or any combination thereof. Additional components of theinformation handling system 100 may include one or more storage devices103 or 107, a wireless network interface device 160, one or morecommunications ports for communicating with external devices, as well asvarious input and output (I/O) devices 110, such as a keyboard, a mouse,touchpad or any combination thereof. A power management unit 104supplying power to the information handling system 100, via a battery105 or an alternating current (A/C) power adapter 106 may supply powerto one or more components of the information handling system 100,including the processor 101, the wireless network interface device 160,various components of the audio switching dongle 130 (e.g.,microcontroller chip 150, memory 109, or audio switching dongle wirelessradio system 199), a static memory 103 or drive unit 107 or othercomponents of an information handling system.

As described herein, the network interface device 160 in an embodimentmay establish a wireless link with the network 170 to conduct an activeaudio data stream from a remote source such as an ongoing call, virtualmeeting, or audio streaming from an online audio streaming service. Theinformation handling system 100 in such an embodiment may operate onwired and wireless links to connect with the network 170 via a networkAccess Point (AP) or base station. The wireless network interface device160 in an embodiment may be capable of communication between theinformation handling system and network 170 (e.g., LAN, WLAN, WAN, WLAN)in some embodiments. Further, the information handling system 100 mayalso include one or more buses (e.g., 108) operable to transmitcommunications between the various hardware components. Portions of aninformation handling system 100 may themselves be considered informationhandling systems 100 in the embodiments presented herein. Theinformation handling system 100 in an embodiment may transmit andreceive data pursuant to the active audio data stream described directlyabove with the audio switching dongle 130 via such a bus 108 and in someembodiments a data port, for example.

Information handling system 100 may include devices or modules thatembody one or more of the devices or execute instructions for the one ormore systems and modules described herein, and operates to perform oneor more of the methods described herein. The information handling system100 may execute code instructions 154 that may operate on servers orsystems, remote data centers, or on-box in individual client informationhandling systems 100 according to various embodiments herein. In someembodiments, it is understood any or all portions of code instructions154 may operate on a plurality of information handling systems 100.

The information handling system 100 may include a processor 101 such asa central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a Visual Processing Unit (VPU),or a hardware accelerator, embedded controllers or control logic or somecombination of the same. Any of the processing resources may operate toexecute code that is either firmware or software code. Moreover, theinformation handling system 100 may include memory such as main memory102, or static memory 103, containing operating system (OS) software,application software, BIOS software, or other software applications ordrivers detectable by processor type 101. The disk drive unit 107 andstatic memory 103 may also contain space for data storage. Theinformation handling system 100 may also include one or more buses 108operable to transmit communications between the various hardwarecomponents such as any combination of various input and output (I/O)devices 110, or the like.

The network interface device 160 may provide connectivity of theinformation handling system 100 to the network 170 via a dedicated link,a network AP or base station in an embodiment. The network 170 in otherembodiments may be a wired local area network (LAN), a wireless personalarea network (WPAN), a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), such as apublic Wi-Fi communication network, a private Wi-Fi_33 communicationnetwork, or other non-cellular communication networks. In otherembodiments, the network 170 may be a wired wide area network (WAN), awireless wide area network (WWAN), such as a 4G LTE public network, or a5G communication network, or other cellular communication networks,including future protocol communication networks such as upcoming 6Gprotocols under development. Connectivity to any of a plurality ofnetworks 170, one or more APs for those networks, or to a dockingstation in an embodiment may be via wired or wireless connection. Insome aspects of the present disclosure, the network interface device 160may operate two or more wireless links. In other aspects of the presentdisclosure, the information handling system 100 may include a pluralityof network interface devices, each capable of establishing a separatewireless link to network 170, such that the information handling system100 may be in communication with network 170 via a plurality of wirelesslinks.

The network interface device 160 may operate in accordance with anycellular wireless data communication standards. To communicate with awireless local area network, standards including IEEE 802.11 WLANstandards, IEEE 802.15 WPAN standards, or similar wireless standards maybe used. Utilization of radiofrequency communication bands according toseveral example embodiments of the present disclosure may include bandsused with the WLAN standards which may operate in both licensed andunlicensed spectrums. For example, WLAN may use frequency bands such asthose supported in the 802.11 a/h/j/n/ac/ax including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi6e. It is understood that any number of available channels may beavailable in WLAN under the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands which may beshared communication frequency bands with WWAN protocols in someembodiments.

The network interface device 160, in other embodiments, may connect toany combination of cellular wireless connections including 2G, 2.5G, 3G,4G, 5G or the like from one or more service providers or privatelyadministered by an enterprise. Utilization of radiofrequencycommunication bands according to several example embodiments of thepresent disclosure may include bands used with the WWAN standards, whichmay operate in both licensed and unlicensed spectrums. Morespecifically, the network interface device 160 in an embodiment maytransceive within radio frequencies associated with the 5G New Radio(NR) Frequency Range 1 (FR1) or Frequency Range 2 (FR2). NRFR1 mayinclude radio frequencies below 6 GHz, also sometimes associated with 4GLTE and other standards predating the 5G communications standards. NRFR2may include radio frequencies above 6 GHz, made available within theemerging 5G communications standard. Frequencies related to the 5Gnetworks may include high frequency (HF) band, very high frequency (VHF)band, ultra-high frequency (UHF) band, L band, S band, C band, X band,Ku band, K band, Ka band, V band, W band, and millimeter wave bands.

In some embodiments, software, firmware, dedicated hardwareimplementations such as application specific integrated circuits,programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices may be constructedto implement one or more of some systems and methods described herein.Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of variousembodiments may broadly include a variety of electronic and computersystems. One or more embodiments described herein may implementfunctions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules ordevices with related control and data signals that may be communicatedbetween and through the modules, or as portions of anapplication-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present systemencompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein may be implemented by firmware or softwareprograms executable by a controller or a processor system. Further, inan exemplary, non-limited embodiment, implementations may includedistributed processing, component/object distributed processing, andparallel processing. Alternatively, virtual computer system processingmay be constructed to implement one or more of the methods orfunctionalities as described herein.

Main memory 102 may contain computer-readable medium (not shown), suchas RAM in an example embodiment. An example of main memory 102 includesrandom access memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM(DRAM), non-volatile RAM (NV-RAM), or the like, read only memory (ROM),another type of memory, or a combination thereof. Static memory 103 maycontain computer-readable medium (not shown), such as NOR or NAND flashmemory in some example embodiments.

Upon the information handling system 100 in an embodiment transmittingand receiving data with the audio switching dongle 130 pursuant to anactive audio data stream, as described herein, the audio switchingdongle 130 and microcontroller 150 may execute code instructions of theWi-Fi switching dongle control system 140 to transmit a wake or activatecommand, via the audio switching dongle wireless radio system 199 to oneof the wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g.,180). The audio switching dongle 130 may then begin transceiving audiodata on the active audio data stream with the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 180. The audio switching dongle wireless radio system199 in such an embodiment may simultaneously maintain a parallelwireless link with the second wireless speaker and microphone device190, which may remain in standby mode. While operating in standby mode,the second wireless speaker and microphone device in an embodiment maystill be capable of receiving user input to switch the audio data streamto the second wireless speaker and microphone device at that same secondwireless speaker and microphone device, and consequently transmit aswitching command to the audio switching dongle 130. The microcontrollerchip 150 may execute code instructions 154 of the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system 140 to handoff an active audio data stream from a firstwireless speaker and microphone device 180 to the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device 190 only upon determining that the secondwireless speaker and microphone device 190 is within communication rangeof the audio switching dongle 130. This may be determined passively,because the microcontroller 150 may only execute the instructions 154 insuch a way following receipt of a switching command from the secondwireless speaker and microphone device 190 which may only occur inrange. If the second wireless speaker and microphone device 190 is notwithin communication range of the audio switching dongle 130, the audioswitching dongle 130 may not receive the command.

Upon receipt of such a command, the microcontroller 150 may executeinstructions 154 to transmit a standby command to the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 180, causing the wireless link with thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device 180 to cease transmittingand receiving data pursuant to the active audio data stream on itswireless link, for example a Wi-Fi link. The microcontroller 150 mayalso execute instructions 154 to transmit a wake or activate command tothe second wireless speaker and microphone device 190, causing thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device 190 to lift any standbymode restrictions on data being transceived via the second, parallelwireless link between the audio switching dongle 130 and the secondwireless speaker and microphone device 190. In such an embodiment, thesecond, parallel wireless link between the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device 190 and the audio switching dongle 130 may then begintransceiving audio data one the active audio data stream established bythe information handling system 100. As such, the audio data stream canbe handed off between multiple wireless speaker and microphone devices(e.g., 180 and 190) seamlessly by switching which device activelytransceivers the audio data stream among the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices, and without intervention by the user at theinformation handling system 100 (e.g., via a GUI, or other aspect of theinformation handling system OS).

While the computer-readable medium is shown to be a single medium, theterm “computer-readable medium” includes a single-medium ormultiple-media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/orassociated caches and servers that store one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also include anymedium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set ofinstructions for execution by a processor or that cause a computersystem to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosedherein.

In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, thecomputer-readable medium may include a solid-state memory such as amemory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatileread-only memories. Further, the computer-readable medium may be arandom-access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally,the computer-readable medium may include a magneto-optical or opticalmedium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to storeinformation received via carrier wave signals such as a signalcommunicated over a transmission medium. Furthermore, a computerreadable medium may store information received from distributed networkresources such as from a cloud-based environment. A digital fileattachment to an e-mail or other self-contained information archive orset of archives may be considered a distribution medium that isequivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure isconsidered to include any one or more of a computer-readable medium or adistribution medium and other equivalents and successor media, in whichdata or instructions may be stored.

In some embodiments, dedicated hardware implementations such asapplication specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices may be constructed to implement one or more ofthe methods described herein. Applications that may include theapparatus and systems of various embodiments may broadly include avariety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodimentsdescribed herein may implement functions using two or more specificinterconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and datasignals that may be communicated between and through the modules, or asportions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, thepresent system encompasses software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

When referred to as a “system”, a “device,” a “module,” a “controller,”or the like, the embodiments described herein may be configured ashardware. For example, a portion of an information handling systemdevice may be hardware such as, for example, an integrated circuit (suchas an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA), a structured ASIC, or a device embeddedon a larger chip), a card (such as a Peripheral Component Interface(PCI) card, a PCI-express card, a Personal Computer Memory CardInternational Association (PCMCIA) card, or other such expansion card),or a system (such as a motherboard, a system-on-a-chip (SoC), or astand-alone device). The system, device, controller, or module mayinclude software, including firmware embedded at a device, such as anIntel® Core class processor, ARM® brand processors, Qualcomm® Snapdragonprocessors, or other processors and chipsets, or other such device, orsoftware capable of operating a relevant environment of the informationhandling system. The system, device, controller, or module may alsoinclude a combination of the foregoing examples of hardware or software.In an embodiment an information handling system 100 may include anintegrated circuit or a board-level product having portions thereof thatmay also be any combination of hardware and software. Devices, modules,resources, controllers, or programs that are in communication with oneanother need not be in continuous communication with each other, unlessexpressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices, modules, resources,controllers, or programs that are in communication with one another maycommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

FIG. 2 is a graphical diagram illustrating a wireless speaker andmicrophone device 230 operably coupled to audio switching dongle 230according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The audioswitching dongle 230 in an embodiment is operably coupled to a wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280 capable of wirelessly receiving andtransmitting audio data, such as a voice call or streaming audio content(e.g., podcast, music, etc.) via a link with the speaker and microphonewireless radio system 298. In some embodiments, the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280 may comprise a wearable hearing device that a usermay position in or around the user's ears, such as earbuds orheadphones. In other embodiments, the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 280 may comprise a smart speaker system (e.g., Alex® Echo® orDot®, or Google® Mini-Home® devices), or a tablet, desktop, or laptopcomputing device. Such a wireless speaker and microphone device 280 inan embodiment may house a microphone 211 for recording a user's voiceand a speaker 231 for outputting or playing audio data received from theaudio switching dongle 230 via the speaker and microphone wireless radiosystem 298. A power management unit 212 with a battery 213 or A/C powercharging adapter 214 may be on the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 280 to provide power to the microcontroller chip 250, the speaker231, the microphone 211, or other components of the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280. An input/output device 220, such as a pushbutton, a voice assistant, digital display, capacitive or resistivetouch switch, or physical switch, for example, may allow the user toindicate a desire to hand an active audio data stream to the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280, or provide visible (e.g.,light flashing a certain color) or audible feedback (e.g., alarm,buzzer, or voice indicator) to a user that an attempt to handoff theactive audio data stream has failed. In some embodiments, the activeaudio data stream may also be handed off from the first wireless speakerand microphone device 290 to a second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 290, which may be the same type of device as the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280. For example, both the first andsecond wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 280 and 290) maycomprise separate, individual sets of earbuds). In other embodiments,the second wireless speaker and microphone device 290 (e.g., smartspeaker) may comprise another type of wireless speaker and microphonedevice than the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 (e.g.,earbuds)

In an embodiment, the wireless speaker and microphone device 280 mayinclude a microcontroller chip 250 that may be any device or devicesthat execute instructions, parameters, and profiles 254 of a Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system 240 counterpart portion on the wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280 to facilitate automatic switchingbetween a plurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices during anactive audio data stream initiated at the audio switching dongle 230.More specifically, instructions 254 may be executed by themicrocontroller chip 250, for example a controller integrated circuit,to wirelessly couple the wireless speaker and microphone device 280 withthe audio switching dongle 230 with a first wireless link, such as via aWi-Fi protocol in an embodiment. Such instructions 254 may comprisetransmitting a wireless communication profile for the wireless speakerand microphone device 280 to audio switching dongle 230 and receivingwireless communication profiles for the audio switching dongle 230 atthe wireless speaker and microphone device 280. The instructions 254 mayfurther operate to perform various types of handshakes orencryption/decryption using various public keys, private keys, hashingalgorithms, short-term keys, long-term keys, or encryption/decryptionalgorithms stored in the shared wireless coupling or wirelesscommunication profiles. Any or all of the above may be included in awireless communication profiles relating to the first wireless couplingbetween the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 and theaudio switching dongle 230 in a first wireless link in variousembodiments. Such wireless communication profiles may be stored in amemory 209 at the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 or atthe audio switching dongle as described herein.

Via speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298, in an embodiment,the microcontroller chip 250 may execute code instructions 254 of theWi-Fi switching dongle control system 240 to receive a standby commandfrom the audio switching dongle 230 immediately upon initialization of awireless link to wirelessly couple the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 280. The microcontroller chip 250 in an embodiment may executesuch a standby command in an embodiment by limiting the power suppliedby the PMU 212 to the speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298,or to limit the types of data packets transceived via the speaker andmicrophone wireless radio system 298 such as limiting audio data. Forexample, the microcontroller ship 250 may restrict the speaker andmicrophone wireless radio system 298 in an embodiment to transceiving ofdata packets related to command instructions transmitted to or receivedfrom the audio switching dongle wireless radio system 299, among otherlow-bitrate transmissions such as push-notifications or data commandpackets. In such a way, the microcontroller chip 250 may place thespeaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 in a standby mode whereit awaits further instructions from the audio switching dongle 230,without actively transceiving any audio data stream with the audioswitching dongle 230. The first wireless speaker and microphone device280 in such an embodiment may remain in this standby mode until itreceives a wake or activate command from the audio switching dongle 230.

As described herein, the information handling system operatively coupledto the audio switching dongle 230 in an embodiment may transceive audiodata with the audio switching dongle 230 pursuant to an active audiodata stream. In such an embodiment, the audio switching dongle 230 mayselect either the first or the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice (e.g., 280 or 290) to transmit and receive data pursuant to thatactive audio data stream. For example, in one embodiment, the audioswitching dongle 230 may select the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280 to transmit and receive audio data pursuant to theactive audio data stream by default, or by reference to a priorityassigned to each of the currently wirelessly coupled wireless speakerand microphone devices (e.g., 280 and 290).

In such an embodiment, the audio switching dongle wireless radio system299 may transmit a wake or activate command to the speaker andmicrophone wireless radio system 298. The microcontroller 250 in such anembodiment may execute code instructions of the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system 240 to lift the standby or low-power mode restrictionsplaced on the speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 pursuantto the previously received standby command. The speaker and microphonewireless radio system 298 may begin to draw full power from the PMU 212and may lift restrictions on the types of data packets transceived insuch an embodiment. This may allow the audio switching dongle 230 andthe first wireless speaker and microphone system 280 to transceive audiodata pursuant to the active audio data stream via the wireless linkbetween them. Consequently, the first wireless speaker and microphonesystem 280 may begin receiving audio input, via the microphone 211, forthat active audio data stream and outputting audio output for thatactive audio data stream via the speaker 231.

In another aspect of an embodiment, the audio switching dongle 230 maylater instruct the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280, viaa stand-by command, to cease transceiving data pursuant to the activeaudio data stream by placing the first wireless speaker and microphone280 back into a standby mode. For example, the audio switching donglewireless radio system may transmit a second standby command to thespeaker and microphone wireless radio system, and instructions 254 maybe executed by the microcontroller chip 250 to once again lower thepower supplied by the PMU 212 to the speaker and microphone wirelessradio system 298 or to limit the types of data packets the speaker andmicrophone wireless radio system 298 transceivers to exclude audio dataon the active audio data stream.

In another embodiment, the audio switching dongle may also select thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device 290 to transceive audiodata on the active audio data stream, rather than the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280. In such an embodiment, the user mayhave indicated, through interaction with an input/output device 220 orthe speaker 231 on the second wireless speaker and microphone device290.

To switch back, the user may indicate, through interaction with aninput/output device 220 or the speaker 231 on the first wireless speakerand microphone device 280, the intent to switch the active audio datastream from the second wireless speaker and microphone device 290 to thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device 280. For example, the usermay provide such an indication via a push button, a voice assistant,digital display, capacitive or resistive touch switch, or physicalswitch. When a switching command or instruction is received at the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280 from a touch button or otheruser input device 220, then the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system240 may transmit a switching command to the audio switching donglewireless radio system 299 of the audio switching dongle 230, via thespeaker and microphone wireless radio system 298. As described herein,although the speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 may beoperating in a standby mode at such time, the standby mode may allow fortransmission of command instructions to and from the audio switchingdongle 230 in an embodiment.

Upon receipt of this switching command at the audio switching dongle 230from the user and the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280,the audio switching dongle 230 may transmit a wake or activate commandto the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 to transitionthe speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 of the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280 out of standby mode. Theaudio switching dongle 230 upon receipt of the switching command mayalso send a stand-by command or instruction to the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device 290 to transition to stand-by mode asdescribed herein. In some embodiments, the microcontroller 250 may onlyexecute such instructions 254 upon determining that the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280 is still within communication range ofthe audio switching dongle 230. This may be determined passively,because the microcontroller 250 may only execute the instructions 254 insuch a way following receipt of an acknowledgement that the switchingcommand from the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 wasreceived and a wake or activate command was executed at the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280 while a stand-by command isexecuted at the second wireless speaker and microphone device 290. Ifthe first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 is not still withincommunication range of the audio switching dongle 230 at the time oftransmission, the audio switching dongle 230, as well as the secondwireless speaker and microphone device 290, may not receive theswitching or stand-by commands respectively and provide theacknowledgement or acknowledgements. If the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 290 is not within communication range of the audioswitching dongle 230 at the time of transmission in the above exampleembodiment of switching from the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 290, the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 may notbe able to wake from the standby mode thus inhibiting receipt andtransmission of audio data pursuant to the active audio data stream.

The audio switching dongle 230 in such an embodiment may conductseamless switching by transmitting a standby command to the secondwireless speaker and microphone device 290 to place the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device 290 in standby mode where transmission andreception of the active audio data stream may be prohibited and a wakeor activate command to the wireless speaker and microphone device 280 toenable transmission and reception of audio data via the active audiodata stream. The active audio data stream in such an embodiment may thusbe handed off seamlessly from the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 290 to the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280pursuant to user input received at the input/output device 220 or thespeaker 231. Because these switching procedures are executed in firmware(e.g., 154) by microcontrollers (e.g., 250) of the audio switchingdongle and the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280 in anembodiment, the procedures may be completed without accessing or usingthe operating system of the information handling system. This may avoiddropped wireless coupling or interruption from transition to establish aswitched-to wireless coupling.

The speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 in an embodimentmay be capable of communication between the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280, and the audio switching dongle 230. Further theaudio switching dongle 230 may be capable of communication with remoteaudio data streaming sources such as a call, virtual meeting, audiostreaming service or the like via the information handling system whichmay be connected to a network (e.g., LAN, WLAN, WAN, WLAN) in someembodiments. Further, speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298may be capable of communication with the wirelessly coupled audioswitching dongle 230 using a wireless link established using any knownor later developed Wi-Fi standards, a modified, proprietary Wi-Fistandard with additional command and control functionality, a Near FieldCommunication (NFC), or Bluetooth® technology, for example. The speakerand microphone wireless radio system 298 in an embodiment may transmitand receive information necessary to wirelessly couple (or pair) thewireless speaker and microphone device 280 with the audio switchingdongle, such as, for example, wireless communication profiles for theaudio switching dongle 230 under the Wi-Fi or proprietary Wi-Fiprotocols. Such wireless coupling or wireless communication profiles mayoperate to identify the first wireless speaker and microphone device 280as a device authorized to transceive data with the audio switchingdongle 230, as well as information sufficient to identify the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280, such as a Media AccessControl (MAC) address, IP address. The wireless coupling or wirelesscommunication profiles in an embodiment may further store various typesof information necessary to perform a handshake between the audioswitching dongle 230 and the wireless speaker and microphone device 280,such as various public keys, private keys, hashing algorithms,short-term keys, long-term keys, or encryption/decryption algorithms.The wireless communication profiles for each wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280, 290 may enable the audio switching dongle 230 tomaintain parallel wireless links and enable stand-by or activationcontrol of those parallel wireless links.

The wireless speaker and microphone device 280 may, in some embodimentsinclude a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, aVisual Processing Unit (VPU), or a hardware accelerator, microcontrollerintegrated circuits (e.g., 250) or hardware control logic or somecombination of the same, such as when the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 280 is a laptop information handling system, earbuds,headphones, smart speaker or other device and those devices may havevarying levels of processing resources. Any of the processing resourcesmay operate to execute code that is either firmware or software code.Moreover, the wireless speaker and microphone device 280 may includememory such as memory 209, containing computer readable medium 252storing instructions 254. Instructions 254 may include a Wi-Fi switchingdongle control system 240, operating system (OS) software, applicationsoftware, BIOS software, or other software applications or driversdetectable by processors or microcontroller 250. The instructions 254 inan embodiment may reside completely, or at least partially, within thememory 209.

Audio switching dongle 230 in an embodiment may be in communication viathe speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 with the wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280 such as a wearable earbud hearingdevice or a wearable headset hearing device, as described in greaterdetail herein. The audio switching dongle 230 in such an embodiment maybe coupled to an information handling system which may operate on wiredand wireless links to connect with a network via a network Access Point(AP) or base station, as described in greater detail herein.

The wireless speaker and microphone device 280 may include a set ofinstructions 254 that may be executed to cause the computer system suchas audio switching dongle 230 or another wireless speaker and microphonedevice 290 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-basedfunctions disclosed herein. For example, instructions 254 may include aparticular example of a Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 240, orother aspects or components. Various software modules comprisingapplication instructions 254 may be coordinated via an applicationprogramming interface (API). Application instructions 254 may alsoinclude any application processing drivers, or the like executing onwireless speaker and microphone device 280 or 290.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 240 on the wireless speakerand microphone device 280 may utilize a computer-readable medium 252 inwhich one or more sets of instructions 254 such as firmware may beembedded with microcontroller chip 250, for example a controllerintegrated circuit. In other embodiments, the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system 240 may operate in part as software or firmwareinstructions executed on the wireless speaker and microphone device 280.The instructions 254 may embody one or more of the methods or logic asdescribed herein. For example, instructions relating to the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system 240, firmware or software algorithms,processes, and/or methods may be stored here.

Memory 209 may contain computer-readable medium (not shown), such as RAMin an example embodiment. An example of memory 209 includes randomaccess memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM),non-volatile RAM (NV-RAM), or the like, read only memory (ROM), anothertype of memory, or a combination thereof. Memory 209 may also comprisestatic memory containing computer-readable medium (not shown), such asNOR or NAND flash memory in some example embodiments. The instructions,parameters, and profiles 254 of the Wi-Fi switching dongle controlsystem 240 may be stored in memory 209 on a computer-readable medium 252such as a flash memory or magnetic disk in an example embodiment. Morespecifically, computer readable medium 252 in an embodiment may storewireless communication profiles for identifying the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 280 or the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device 290 to the audio switching dongle 230 as a deviceauthorized to transceive data with the audio switching dongle 230, aswell as information sufficient to identify the first wireless speakerand microphone devices 280 or 290, such as a Media Access Control (MAC)address, IP address. The wireless communication profiles in anembodiment may further store various types of information necessary toperform a handshake between the wireless speaker and microphone devices280 or 290 and the audio switching dongle 230, such as various publickeys, private keys, hashing algorithms, short-term keys, long-term keys,or encryption/decryption algorithms.

FIG. 3 is a graphical diagram illustrating an audio switching dongleoperatively coupled to the information handling system wirelesslycoupled with a plurality of wireless speaker and microphone devicesduring a pre-setting according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. An audio switching dongle 330 housing a microcontrollerexecuting firmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle controlsystem in an embodiment may be operatively coupled to an informationhandling system 305. Such an operative coupling may be performed throughinsertion of the audio switching dongle 330 within a USB port of theinformation handling system 305 in an embodiment. In another embodiment,the audio switching dongle 330 may be incorporated within the housing ofthe information handling system 305 and operatively coupled to the busof the information handling system 305 through one of several means fortransmitting data, including connection through a USB hub, a Thunderbolthub, or any other type of data transfer hub known in the art.

The audio switching dongle 330 may execute firmware instructions of theWi-Fi switching dongle control system to wirelessly couple with multiplewireless speaker and microphone devices within communication range ofthe information handling system 305, such as earbuds 341, headphones342, and smart speaker 343. In other embodiments, the audio switchingdongle may wirelessly couple with other information handling systems(e.g., smart phones, laptops, tablets). This pre-set wireless couplingprocess in an embodiment may comprise sharing of wireless communicationprofiles between the audio switching dongle 330 and each of the wirelessspeaker and microphone devices (e.g., 341, 342, and 343). The audioswitching dongle 330 and the each of the wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., 341, 342, and 343) in such an embodiment may furtherperform various types of handshakes using various public keys, privatekeys, hashing algorithms, short-term keys, or long-term keys as aportion of such a wireless coupling procedure. Any information requiredto perform such a handshake (e.g., public keys, private keys, hashingalgorithms, short-term keys, or long-term keys) as well as informationspecifically identifying each of the wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., 341, 342, or 343) or the information handling system 305in an embodiment (e.g., MAC addresses for each device) may be stored atboth the information handling system 305, the audio switching dongle330, and each of the wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 341,342, and 343).

Upon such an initial, pre-set wireless coupling session, the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system operating at the audio switching donglemay establish wireless links with each of the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices, and transmit a standby command to each of thewireless speaker and microphone devices to initiate a standby orlow-power mode. For example, the audio switching dongle 330 may executefirmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system toestablish a first wireless link 301 with the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 341 (e.g., earbuds), establish a second wireless link303 with the second wireless speaker and microphone device 343 (e.g.,smart speaker), and establish a third wireless link 302 with the thirdwireless speaker and microphone device 342 (e.g., headphones). Each ofthe wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g.,341, 342, and 343) in embodiments may remain in such a standby mode, inwhich their respective radio systems may process only minimal datapackets (e.g., control instructions from the audio switching dongle 330,push notifications, e-mails), until the audio switching dongle 330selects one of the wireless speaker and microphone devices fortransmission and receipt of an active audio data stream (e.g., streamingmusic, podcasts, Wi-Fi or cellular calls, online meetings, etc.), asdescribed in greater detail herein with respect to FIG. 4 , below.

FIG. 4 is a graphical diagram illustrating a first wireless speaker andmicrophone device transceiving audio data pursuant to an active audiodata stream according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Theinformation handling system 405 may initiate an active audio data streamwith a remote participant via a network, or locally in an embodiment.For example, the active audio data stream may comprise a phone callestablished via a cellular network, may comprise an online meeting(e.g., Zoom® meeting or Microsoft® Teams® meeting) established via theworld-wide web, or may comprise music streamed from a local or networksource.

The information handling system 405 may already be wirelessly coupledwith the first wireless speaker and microphone device 441 (e.g., asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 3 ) via the audio switching dongle430 and a direct wireless link 411. As described above with reference toFIG. 4 , the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system of the audioswitching dongle 430 in an embodiment may place each of the wirelessspeaker and microphone devices (e.g., 441, 442, and 443) in standby modesuch that each of their respective wireless speaker and microphone radiosystems consume very little power or only transceive a limited type ofdata packets (e.g., control instructions from the audio switching dongle430, or push notifications) following the initial wireless coupling ofeach of these devices (e.g., 441, 442, and 443) with the audio switchingdongle 430. While in such a standby mode, none of the wireless speakerand microphone devices 441, 442, or 443 may transceive audio data withinan audio data stream until the audio switching dongle 430 selects one inan embodiment.

Upon establishment of the active audio data stream at the informationhandling system 405 in an embodiment, the audio switching dongle 430,executing firmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching audio switchingdongle control system may select or identify one of the plurality ofwirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 431,432, or 433) for transmission and receipt of data within the activeaudio data stream established at the information handling system 405. Itmay be a default wireless speaker and microphone device or one selectedby a user switching input. For example, the audio switching dongle 430in an embodiment may select the first wireless speaker and microphonedevice 441 (e.g., earbuds) for output of audio data from the activeaudio data stream via a speaker, and input audio data to the activeaudio data stream via a microphone at the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 441. In such an embodiment, the audio switching dongle430 may execute firmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system to transmit a wake or activate command via wireless link411 to disengage standby mode at the wireless speaker and microphonedevice 441 (e.g., earbuds). A microcontroller at the wireless speakerand microphone device 441 in an embodiment may execute firmwareinstructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system counterpartportion at the wireless speaker and microphone device 441 to allow thewireless speaker and microphone radio system at the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 441 to transceive data without any standbymode-related restrictions. Once the standby mode restrictions have beenlifted in an embodiment, the information handling system 405 maytransceive audio data on the active audio data stream with the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 441 via the first wireless link411. The remaining wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 442,and 443) may remain in the standby mode initiated by the audio switchingdongle 430 (e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 3 ), such thattheir respective wireless links (e.g., 412 and 413) only transceivelimited types of data packets (e.g., control instructions from audioswitching dongle 430, or push notifications).

FIG. 5 is a graphical diagram illustrating an active audio data streamhanded off from a first to a second wireless speaker and microphonedevice, independently from operation of the information handling systemoperating system (OS) according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. A user 510 may indicate a desire to switch the active audiostream from the first wireless speaker and microphone device 541 (e.g.,earbuds) to a second wireless speaker and microphone device (e.g., smartspeaker 543) in embodiments, by providing user input via a userinterface (e.g., button, switch, capacitive or resistive touch switch,voice input, etc.) at the second wireless speaker and microphone device543. In an embodiment, the second wireless speaker and microphone device543 may transmit a switching command to the audio switching dongle 530to switch the audio data stream to the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device 543 via the parallel, second wireless link 513,previously established between the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device 543 and the audio switching dongle 530. Such aswitching command from the second wireless speaker and microphone device543 (e.g., smart speaker) may be transmitted within data packets, thetransmission of which is allowed within the standby mode engaged at thewireless speaker and microphone radio system of the smart speaker 543,in an embodiment.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at the audioswitching dongle 530 in an embodiment may consequently transmit a firststandby command to the first wireless speaker and microphone device 541(e.g., earbuds) to cease transmission and reception of the active audiodata stream by placing its radio system in standby mode. Once in standbymode, the wireless speaker and microphone device radio system at theearbuds 541 may reduce power consumption or limit the type of datapackets transceived to specific types (e.g., command instructions to orfrom the audio switching dongle 530, push notifications, etc.), and mayterminate transceiving of audio data on the active audio data streamestablished at the information handling system 505.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at the audioswitching dongle 530 in an embodiment may also transmit a wake oractivate instruction to the wireless speaker and microphone device 543(e.g., smart speaker) to disengage standby mode and to begintransmission and reception of audio data on the active audio datastream. As described herein, these instructions to enter and disengagestandby mode at the various wireless speaker and microphone devices(e.g., 541, 542, and 543) may be generated, processed, and transmittedvia firmware instructions processed by microcontrollers of the audioswitching dongle 530 and a counterpart portion executed at the multiplewireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and 543),respectively, in an embodiment. As such, selection of and switchingbetween the multiple wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541,542, or 543) for receipt and transmission of the active audio datastream, may be performed independently from processing of OSinstructions at a processor of the information handling system 505.Thus, the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543 (e.g., smartspeaker) may join the active audio data stream (e.g., call, meeting, orsession) without requiring the user to instruct the information handlingsystem 505 to handoff the active audio data stream between two separatewireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541 and 543) via a GUI atthe information handling system 505. Further, the first wireless speakerand microphone device 541 and the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 543 conduct the switching so that both do not transmit andreceive on the active audio data stream at the same time. This makesswitching seamless and simpler and avoids interruptions or droppedwireless links.

In some embodiments, while the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 543 is operating as the primary point of input (e.g., via amicrophone) and output (e.g., via a speaker) for the active audio datastream initiated by the information handling system 505, the user mayinitiate a switch instruction at a third wireless speaker and microphonedevice 542 (e.g., headphones) indicating a desire to make the thirdwireless speaker and microphone device 542 the primary source of input(e.g., via a microphone) and output (e.g., via a speaker) for the activeaudio data stream (e.g., call, meeting, or session) previouslyestablished via the information handling system 505. In such anembodiment, the third wireless speaker and microphone device 542 maytransmit a switching command to the audio switching dongle 530 to switchthe audio data stream to the third wireless speaker and microphonedevice 542 via the wireless link 512, previously established between thethird wireless speaker and microphone device 542 and the audio switchingdongle 530. Such a switching command from the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 542 (e.g., headphones) may be transmitted within datapackets, the transmission of which is allowed within the standby modeengaged at the wireless speaker and microphone radio system of theheadphones 542, in an embodiment.

The Wi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at the audioswitching dongle 530 in an embodiment may consequently transmit astandby command to the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543(e.g., smart speaker) to cease transmission and reception of the activeaudio data stream by placing its radio system in standby mode. Once instandby mode, the wireless speaker and microphone device radio system atthe smart speaker 543 may reduce power consumption or limit the type ofdata packets transceived to specific types (e.g., command instructionsto or from the audio switching dongle 530, push notifications, etc.),and may terminate transceiving of audio data on the active audio datastream established at the information handling system 505. The Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system operating at the audio switching dongle530 in an embodiment may also transmit a wake or activate command to thewireless speaker and microphone device 542 (e.g., headphones) todisengage standby mode and to begin transmission and reception of theactive audio data stream. Thus, the third wireless speaker andmicrophone device 542 (e.g., headphones) may join the active audio datastream (e.g., call, meeting, or session) without requiring the user toinstruct the information handling system 505 to handoff the active audiodata stream between two separate wireless speaker and microphone devices(e.g., 543 and 542) via a GUI at the information handling system 505.Further, the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543 and thethird wireless speaker and microphone device 542 conduct the switchingso that both do not transmit and receive on the active audio data streamat the same time. This makes switching seamless and simpler and avoidsinterruptions or dropped wireless links. In such a way, the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system operating at the audio switching dongle530 operatively coupled to the information handling system 505 and at aplurality of wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542,and 543) in and embodiment may allow a user to seamlessly switch betweenthese wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and 543)as the primary source of input/output during an active audio datastream, without interacting with the OS or a GUI of the informationhandling system 505.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of orchestratingtransceiving of audio data within an active audio data stream among aplurality of pre-set wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphonedevices and an information handling system, via an audio switchingdongle operatively coupled to the information handling system accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described herein, theWi-Fi switching dongle control system of the audio switching dongle maywirelessly couple with multiple wireless speaker and microphone devicesin parallel wireless links within communication range of the informationhandling system, such as earbuds, headphones, smart speakers, or otherinformation handling systems (e.g., smart phones, laptops, tablets).

At block 602, an audio switching dongle executing firmware codeinstructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system in anembodiment may be coupled to an information handling system. Forexample, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3 , audioswitching dongle 330 may be operatively coupled to information handlingsystem 305 through insertion of the audio switching dongle 330 within aUSB port of the information handling system 305 in an embodiment. Inanother embodiment, the audio switching dongle 330 may be incorporatedwithin the housing of the information handling system 305 andoperatively coupled to the bus of the information handling system 305through one of several means for transmitting data, including connectionthrough a USB hub, a Thunderbolt hub, or any other type of data transferhub known in the art.

The audio switching dongle may be wirelessly coupled with multiplewireless speaker and microphone devices in an embodiment at block 604.For example, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3 , audioswitching dongle 330 may execute firmware instructions of the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system to wirelessly couple with multiplewireless speaker and microphone devices within communication range ofthe information handling system 305 to establish plural, parallelwireless links, such as earbuds 341, headphones 342, and smart speaker343. This pre-set wireless coupling process in an embodiment maycomprise sharing of wireless communication profiles between the audioswitching dongle 330 and each of the wireless speaker and microphonedevices (e.g., 341, 342, and 343), or performance of various types ofhandshakes using various public keys, private keys, hashing algorithms,short-term keys, or long-term keys as a portion of such a wirelesscoupling procedure. This may enable the wireless switching dongle tomaintain plural, parallel wireless links with the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices.

As described in an embodiment with respect to FIG. 1 , the audioswitching dongle wireless radio system 199 in an embodiment may transmitand receive information necessary to wirelessly couple the wirelessspeaker and microphone device 180 with the audio switching dongle 130,pursuant to execution by the microcontroller chip 150 of codeinstructions 154 of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 140. Asimilar pre-setting wireless coupling procedure may be conducted by theaudio switching dongle with a second, third or other wireless speakerand microphone device 190. Such information may include, for example,wireless communication profiles for the wireless speaker and microphonedevices 180 and 190. Such wireless communication profiles may operate toidentify the each of the wireless speaker and microphone devices 180,190 as a device authorized to transceive data with the informationhandling system 100 on one of a plurality of parallel wireless links, aswell as information sufficient to identify each of the wireless speakerand microphone devices 180 or 190, such as a Media Access Control (MAC)address, IP address. The wireless communication profiles in anembodiment may further store various types of information necessary toperform the handshake between the wireless speaker and microphonedevices 180 or 190 and the audio switching dongle 130 operativelycoupled to the information handling system 100 described above, such asvarious public keys, private keys, hashing algorithms, short-term keys,long-term keys, or encryption/decryption algorithms.

As described in an embodiment with respect to FIG. 2 , speaker andmicrophone wireless radio system 299 of the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 240 in an embodiment may transmit and receiveinformation necessary to wirelessly couple the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 240 with the audio switching dongle 230 in a firstwireless coupling for a first wireless link of plural, parallel wirelesslinks pursuant to execution by the microcontroller chip 250 of codeinstructions 254 of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system 240.

At block 606, the audio switching dongle in an embodiment may place eachof the wirelessly coupled multiple wireless speaker and microphonedevices in standby mode until an audio data stream is establishedbetween the information handling system and the audio switching dongle.For example, in an embodiment described with respect to FIG. 3 , uponthe initial, pre-set wireless coupling session, the Wi-Fi switchingdongle control system operating at the audio switching dongle mayestablish wireless links with each of the wireless speaker andmicrophone devices, and transmit a standby command to each of thewireless speaker and microphone devices to initiate a standby orlow-power mode. For example, the audio switching dongle 330 may executefirmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system toestablish a first wireless link 301 with the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device 341 (e.g., earbuds), establish a second wireless link303 with the second wireless speaker and microphone device 343 (e.g.,smart speaker), and establish a third wireless link 302 with the thirdwireless speaker and microphone device 342 (e.g., headphones). Each ofthe wirelessly coupled wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g.,341, 342, and 343) in embodiments may remain in such a standby mode, inwhich their respective radio systems may process only minimal datapackets (e.g., control instructions from the audio switching dongle 330,push notifications, etc.), until the audio switching dongle 330 selectsone of the wireless speaker and microphone devices for transmission andreceipt of audio data on an active audio data stream (e.g., streamingmusic, podcasts, Wi-Fi or cellular calls, online meetings, etc.).

As another example, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2, the microcontroller chip 250 may execute code instructions 254 of theWi-Fi switching dongle control system 240 to receive a standby commandfrom the audio switching dongle 230, via the speaker and microphonewireless radio system 298, immediately upon initial wireless couplingand establishing a wireless link. The microcontroller chip 250 in anembodiment may execute such a standby command in an embodiment bylimiting the power supplied by the PMU 212 to the speaker and microphonewireless radio system 298, or to limit the types of data packetstransceived, such as limiting audio data, via the speaker and microphonewireless radio system 298. For example, the microcontroller ship 250 mayrestrict the speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 in anembodiment to transceiving of data packets related to commandinstructions transmitted to or received from the audio switching donglewireless radio system 299, among other low-bitrate transmissions such aspush-notifications. In such a way, the microcontroller chip 250 mayplace the speaker and microphone wireless radio system 298 in a standbymode where it awaits further instructions from the audio switchingdongle 230, without actively transceiving any audio data on the activeaudio data stream with the audio switching dongle 230. The firstwireless speaker and microphone device 280 in such an embodiment mayremain in this standby mode until it receives a wake or activate commandfrom the audio switching dongle 230.

The information handling system in an embodiment may begin transceivingstreaming audio data on the active audio data stream with the audioswitching dongle at block 608. For example, in an embodiment describedwith reference to FIG. 4 , the information handling system 405 mayinitiate an active audio data stream with a remote participant via anetwork, or locally, such as a phone call established via a cellularnetwork, an online meeting (e.g., Zoom® meeting or Microsoft® Teams®meeting) established via the world-wide web, or may have music streamedfrom a local or network source. As another example, in an embodimentdescribed with reference to FIG. 1 , the network interface device 160 inan embodiment may establish a wireless link with the network 170 toconduct an active audio data stream from a remote source such as anongoing call, virtual meeting, or audio streaming from an online audiostreaming service. The information handling system 100 in an embodimentmay transmit and receive data pursuant to the active audio data streamdescribed directly above with the audio switching dongle 130 via such abus 108, for example.

At block 610, the audio switching dongle in an embodiment may begintransceiving streaming audio data with the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device via a first wireless link by transitioning the firstwireless speaker and microphone device radio system out of standby mode.For example, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4 , uponestablishment of the active audio data stream at the informationhandling system 405 in an embodiment, the audio switching dongle 430,executing firmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle controlsystem may select or identify one of the plurality of wirelessly coupledwireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 431, 432, or 433) fortransmission and receipt of data within the active audio data streamestablished at the information handling system 405. The initialselection may be a default wireless speaker and microphone device, or awireless speaker and microphone device may be selected by a userpursuant to embodiments herein such as a button, touch sensor switch,switch, software input, audio input command or other. More specifically,the audio switching dongle 430 in an embodiment may select the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 441 (e.g., earbuds) for outputfrom audio data of the active audio data stream via a speaker, and inputaudio data to the active audio data stream via a microphone at the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 441.

In such an embodiment, the audio switching dongle 430 may executefirmware instructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system totransmit a wake or activate command via the first wireless link 411 todisengage standby mode at the first wireless speaker and microphonedevice 441 (e.g., earbuds). A microcontroller at the wireless speakerand microphone device 441 in an embodiment may execute firmwareinstructions of the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system to allow thewireless speaker and microphone radio system at the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device 441 to transceive data without any standbymode-related restrictions. Once the standby mode restrictions have beenlifted in an embodiment, the information handling system 405 maytransceive the active audio data stream with the first wireless speakerand microphone device 441 via the first wireless link 411. The methodfor orchestrating transceiving of data within an active audio datastream among a plurality of pre-set wirelessly coupled wireless speakerand microphone devices and an information handling system may then end.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of automatically andseamlessly handing off an active audio data stream with an informationhandling system from a first wireless speaker and microphone device to asecond wireless speaker and microphone device according to an embodimentof the present disclosure. As described herein, the Wi-Fi switchingdongle control system operating at an audio switching dongle operativelyconnected to an information handling system in an embodiment may providean automatic method for handing off active audio data streams such ascalls, meetings, or sessions from one wireless speaker and microphonedevice to a second wireless speaker and microphone device without theneed for user input or use of the operating system (OS) at theinformation handling system through which the active audio data streamwas initiated.

At block 702, the user in an embodiment may provide user switch input toa second wireless speaker and microphone device indicating aninstruction to handoff an active audio data stream from a first wirelessspeaker and microphone device to a second wireless speaker andmicrophone device. As described in an example embodiment above withrespect to FIG. 4 , following establishment of a wireless link activelytransceiving an audio data stream between the information handlingsystem 405 and a first wireless speaker and microphone device 441 (e.g.,earbuds), the remaining wirelessly coupled wireless speaker andmicrophone devices (e.g., 442, and 443) may remain in the standby modeinitiated by the audio switching dongle 430, such that their respectivewireless links (e.g., 412 and 413) only transceive limited types of datapackets (e.g., control instructions from audio switching dongle 430,push notifications, or e-mails).

In an example embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 , a user 510may indicate a desire to switch the active audio stream from the firstwireless speaker and microphone device 541 (e.g., earbuds) to a secondwireless speaker and microphone device (e.g., smart speaker 543) inembodiments, by providing user switch input via a user interface (e.g.,button, switch, capacitive or resistive touch switch, voice input, orothers) at the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543. In anembodiment, the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543 maytransmit a switching command to the audio switching dongle 530 to switchthe audio data stream to the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice 543 via the wireless link 513, previously established between thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device 543 and the audioswitching dongle 530. Such a switching command from the wireless speakerand microphone device 543 (e.g., smart speaker) may be transmittedwithin data packets, the transmission of which is allowed within thestandby mode engaged at the wireless speaker and microphone radio systemof the smart speaker 543, in an embodiment.

In another example embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2 , theuser may indicate, through interaction with an input/output device 220or the speaker 231 as a user switch input, an intent to switch theactive audio data stream to the wireless speaker and microphone device280. For example, the user may provide such an indication via a pushbutton, a voice assistant, digital display, capacitive or resistivetouch switch, or physical switch of an I/O device 220.

At block 704, it may be determined whether the second wireless speakerand microphone device is within communication range of the audioswitching dongle and information handling system in an embodiment. Forexample, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 , themicrocontroller chip 150 may execute code instructions 154 of the Wi-Fiswitching dongle control system 140 to handoff an active audio datastream from a first wireless speaker and microphone device 180 to asecond wireless speaker and microphone device 190 only upon determiningthat the second wireless speaker and microphone device 190 is withincommunication range of the audio switching dongle 130. This may bedetermined passively, because the microcontroller 150 may only executethe instructions 154 in such a way following receipt of a switchingcommand from the second wireless speaker and microphone device 190. Ifthe second wireless speaker and microphone device 190 is not withincommunication range of the audio switching dongle 130, the audioswitching dongle 130 may not receive the switching command. If the audioswitching dongle is not within communication range, successful handoffto the second wireless speaker and microphone device may not bepossible, and the method may proceed to block 706 for notifying the userof this fact. If the first wireless speaker and microphone device or theinformation handling system is within communication range, the methodmay proceed to block 708 for execution of the requested handoff to thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device.

In an embodiment in which the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice is not within communication range of the audio switching dongle,an output device at the second wireless speaker and microphone devicemay display a notification on a screen or via a light or other visualnotification or provide an audio feedback such as an error tone of afailed handoff at block 706. For example, in an embodiment describedwith reference to FIG. 2 , an input/output device 220, such as acapacitive or resistive touch-sensitive switch, a push button, a voiceassistant, digital display, or physical switch, for example, may alsoinclude and provide visible (e.g., light flashing a certain color) oraudible feedback (e.g., alarm, buzzer, or voice indicator) to a userthat an attempt to handoff the audio data stream to the wireless speakerand microphone device 290 has failed. The method for automatically andseamlessly handing off an active audio data stream with an informationhandling system from a first wireless speaker and microphone device to asecond wireless speaker and microphone device may then end although thesystem may continue to monitor for another user switch input and thedevices within communication range of one another.

At block 708, in an embodiment in which the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device is within communication range of the audio switchingdongle providing an active audio data stream, the audio switching donglemay begin transceiving the active audio data stream received from theinformation handling system to the second wireless speaker andmicrophone device via a second wireless link. For example, in anembodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 , the Wi-Fi switchingdongle control system operating at the audio switching dongle 530 in anembodiment may transmit a wake or activate command to the wirelessspeaker and microphone device 543 (e.g., smart speaker) to disengagestandby mode and to begin transmission and reception of audio data onthe active audio data stream. As described herein, these wake/activateand standby commands to enter and disengage standby mode at the variouswireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and 543) may begenerated, processed, and transmitted via firmware instructionsprocessed by microcontrollers of the audio switching dongle 530 and themultiple wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and543), respectively, in an embodiment. As such, selection of andswitching between the multiple wireless speaker and microphone devices(e.g., 541, 542, or 543) for receipt and transmission of the activeaudio data stream, may be performed independently from processing of OSinstructions at a processor of the information handling system 505.Thus, the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543 (e.g., smartspeaker) may join the active audio data stream (e.g., call, meeting, orsession) without requiring the user to instruct the information handlingsystem 505 to handoff the active audio data stream between two separatewireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541 and 543) via a GUI atthe information handling system 505.

At block 710, the audio switching dongle in an embodiment may ceasetransceiving the audio data stream established by the informationhandling system to the first wireless speaker and microphone device byplacing the first wireless speaker and microphone device in standbymode. For example, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 ,the Wi-Fi switching dongle control system operating at the audioswitching dongle 530 in an embodiment may transmit a standby command tothe first wireless speaker and microphone device 541 (e.g., earbuds) tocease transmission and reception of the active audio data stream byplacing its radio system in standby mode. Once in standby mode, thewireless speaker and microphone device radio system at the earbuds 541may reduce power consumption or limit the type of data packetstransceived to specific types (e.g., command instructions to or from theaudio switching dongle 530, push notifications, etc.), and may terminatetransceiving of data pursuant to the active audio data streamestablished at the information handling system 505. Thus, the audioswitching dongle, first wireless speaker and microphone device 541, andsecond wireless speaker and microphone device 543 conduct the switchingso that both do not transmit and receive on the active audio data streamat the same time. This makes switching seamless and simpler and avoidsinterruptions or dropped wireless links.

It may be determined at block 712 in an optional embodiment whether athird wireless speaker and microphone device is within range and hasreceived user input indicating a desire to handoff the current activeaudio data stream to the third wireless speaker and microphone device.For example, as described in an embodiment with respect to FIG. 5 ,while the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543 (e.g., smartspeaker) is operating as the primary point of input (e.g., via amicrophone) and output (e.g., via a speaker) for the active audio datastream initiated by the information handling system 505, the user mayinitiate a switch instruction at a third wireless speaker and microphonedevice 542 (e.g., headphones). Such a switch instruction may indicate adesire to make the third wireless speaker and microphone device 542 theprimary source of input (e.g., via a microphone) and output (e.g., via aspeaker) for the active audio data stream (e.g., call, meeting), orsession previously established via the information handling system 505.If the user has provided user switch input indicating a desire tohandoff the current active audio data stream to a third wireless speakerand microphone device, the method may proceed to block 714. If the userhas not provided user switch input indicating a desire to handoff thecurrent active audio data stream to a third wireless speaker andmicrophone device, the method for automatically and seamlessly handingoff an active audio data stream with an information handling system froma first wireless speaker and microphone device to a second wirelessspeaker and microphone device may then end.

At block 714, the audio switching dongle in an embodiment may begintransceiving audio data on the audio data stream received from theinformation handling system to a third wireless speaker and microphonedevice via a third wireless link. For example, in an embodimentdescribed with reference to FIG. 5 , the Wi-Fi switching dongle controlsystem operating at the audio switching dongle 530 in an embodiment maytransmit a wake or activate command to the wireless speaker andmicrophone device 542 (e.g., headphones) to disengage standby mode andto begin transmission and reception of the active audio data stream.Thus, the third wireless speaker and microphone device 542 (e.g.,headphones) may join the active audio data stream (e.g., call, meeting,or session) without requiring the user to instruct the informationhandling system 505 to handoff the active audio data stream between twoseparate wireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 543 and 542) viaa GUI at the information handling system 505.

At block 716, the audio switching dongle in an embodiment may ceasetransceiving the audio data stream established by the informationhandling system to the second wireless speaker and microphone device bytransitioning the second wireless link to standby mode. This is done inan embodiment so that the first wireless speaker and microphone deviceand the second wireless speaker and microphone device do notsimultaneously transceive audio data on the active audio data streamwith the information handling system. For example, in an embodimentdescribed with reference to FIG. 5 , the Wi-Fi switching dongle controlsystem operating at the audio switching dongle 530 may transmit astandby command to the second wireless speaker and microphone device 543(e.g., smart speaker) to cease transmission and reception of the activeaudio data stream by placing its radio system in standby mode. Once instandby mode, the wireless speaker and microphone device radio system atthe smart speaker 543 may reduce power consumption or limit the type ofdata packets transceived to specific types (e.g., command instructionsto or from the audio switching dongle 530, push notifications, etc.),and may terminate transceiving of audio data on the active audio datastream established at the information handling system 505. The secondwireless speaker and microphone device 543 and the third wirelessspeaker and microphone device 542 conduct the switching so that both donot transmit and receive on the active audio data stream at the sametime. This makes switching seamless and simpler and avoids interruptionsor dropped wireless links. In such a way, the Wi-Fi switching donglecontrol system operating at the audio switching dongle 530 operativelycoupled to the information handling system 505 and at a plurality ofwireless speaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and 543) in andembodiment may allow a user to seamlessly switch between these wirelessspeaker and microphone devices (e.g., 541, 542, and 543) as the primarysource of input/output during an active audio data stream, withoutinteracting with the OS or a GUI of the information handling system 505.The method for automatically and seamlessly handing off an active audiodata stream with an information handling system from a second wirelessspeaker and microphone device to a third wireless speaker and microphonedevice in an embodiment may then end.

The blocks of the flow diagrams of FIGS. 6, and 7 or steps and aspectsof the operation of the embodiments herein and discussed herein need notbe performed in any given or specified order. It is contemplated thatadditional blocks, steps, or functions may be added, some blocks, stepsor functions may not be performed, blocks, steps, or functions may occurcontemporaneously, and blocks, steps or functions from one flow diagrammay be performed within another flow diagram.

Devices, modules, resources, or programs that are in communication withone another need not be in continuous communication with each other,unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices, modules,resources, or programs that are in communication with one another maycommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailherein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of theembodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the followingclaims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to coverthe structures described herein as performing the recited function andnot only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

The subject matter described herein is to be considered illustrative,and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover anyand all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments thatfall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximumextent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to bedetermined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the followingclaims and their equivalents and shall not be restricted or limited bythe foregoing detailed description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A first wireless speaker and microphone devicewirelessly coupled with an information handling system comprising: amicrophone and a speaker; a wireless speaker and microphone device radiosystem for operatively coupling via a Wi-Fi protocol wireless link withan audio switching dongle of the information handling system forwireless audio data stream communications along with a second wirelessspeaker and microphone device; the wireless speaker and microphonedevice radio system to transmit and receive audio data on an activeaudio data stream with the audio switching dongle on the informationhandling system; a controller integrated circuit executing codeinstructions of a Wi-Fi switching dongle control system to receive aswitching command pursuant to user switch input received from a userfrom the second wireless speaker and microphone device via the audioswitching dongle of the information handling system; and the controllerintegrated circuit to a stop transmission and reception on the activeaudio transmission and reception by the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device with the information handling system and to allow theinformation handling system to communicate the active audio transmissionand reception with the second wireless speaker and microphone device. 2.The first wireless speaker and microphone device of claim 1, wherein theWi-Fi protocol wireless link is a proprietary Wi-Fi protocol wirelesslink with metadata and command data exchange capacity between thewireless speaker and microphone device radio system and an audioswitching dongle wireless radio system on the audio switching dongle forcontrol of the first wireless speaker and microphone device.
 3. Thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device of claim 1, wherein awireless communication profile of the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device is transmitted and stored in a memory at the audioswitching dongle with a second wireless communication profile for thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device to maintain the Wi-Fiprotocol wireless link and a second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wirelesslink with the second wireless speaker and microphone device.
 4. Thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device of claim 1 furthercomprising: an earbud enclosing the speaker for insertion within an earcanal of the wearer.
 5. The first wireless speaker and microphone deviceof claim 1 further comprising: a headphone enclosing the speaker forplacement against an ear of the wearer.
 6. The first wireless speakerand microphone device of claim 1 further comprising: the active audiodata stream including a wireless call on the information handling systemthat is switched between the first wireless speaker and microphonedevice and the second wireless speaker and microphone device using theWi-Fi switching dongle control system.
 7. The first wireless speaker andmicrophone device of claim 1, where the audio switching dongle of theinformation handling system switches to a second, parallel Wi-Fiprotocol wireless link for the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice by selecting the second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link totransmit and receive the audio data on the active audio data stream. 8.The first wireless speaker and microphone device of claim 1 furthercomprising: the controller integrated circuit executing codeinstructions of a Wi-Fi switching dongle control system to receive asecond switching command pursuant to user switch input received from theuser from a third wireless speaker and microphone device via theswitching dongle of the information handling system; and the secondswitching command from the third wireless speaker and microphone devicemaintains the status of the first wireless speaker and microphone deviceand causes the dongle to switch to a third, parallel Wi-Fi protocolwireless links with the third wireless speaker and microphone device totransmit and receive the audio data on the active audio data stream. 9.An information handling system having an audio switching dongleoperatively coupled to first wireless speaker and microphone devicecomprising: a processor, memory, power system and data bus; the audioswitching dongle coupled to the data bus further comprising: an audioswitching dongle wireless radio system operatively coupled via a firstWi-Fi protocol wireless link to transmit and receive the audio data onan active audio data stream with the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device; the audio switching dongle wireless radio systemhaving a second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with the secondwireless speaker and microphone device in standby; the audio switchingdongle wireless radio system to receive a switching command from thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device pursuant to a user switchinput from a user; a controller integrated circuit to activate thesecond, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device to transmit and receive the audio data ofthe active audio data stream and to transition the first Wi-Fi protocolwireless link to standby in response to receiving the switching command;and the processor to feed and receive the audio data from the audioswitching dongle via the data bus.
 10. The information handling systemwirelessly having an audio switching dongle of claim 9, wherein theWi-Fi protocol wireless link is a proprietary Wi-Fi protocol wirelesslink with metadata and command data exchange capacity between thewireless speaker and microphone device radio system and an audioswitching dongle wireless radio system on the audio switching dongle forcontrol of the first wireless speaker and microphone device.
 11. Thefirst wireless speaker and microphone device of claim 9, where the audioswitching dongle of the information handling system switches to thesecond, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link for the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device by selecting the second, parallel Wi-Fiprotocol wireless links to transmit and receive the audio data on theactive audio data stream and sending a standby command to ceasetransmitting and receiving the audio data on the active data stream tothe first wireless speaker and microphone device.
 12. The informationhandling system wirelessly having an audio switching dongle of claim 9further comprising: the controller integrated circuit to store awireless communication profile of the first wireless speaker andmicrophone device in a dongle memory with the second wirelesscommunication profile for a second wireless speaker and microphonedevice to maintain the first Wi-Fi protocol wireless link and thesecond, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link.
 13. The informationhandling system wirelessly having an audio switching dongle of claim 9,wherein the audio switching dongle is integrated with a wireless networkinterface device disposed into the housing of the information handlingsystem.
 14. The information handling system wirelessly having an audioswitching dongle of claim 9 further comprising: the active audio datastream including a wireless call on the information handling system thatis switched between the first wireless speaker and microphone device andthe second wireless speaker and microphone device using the Wi-Fiswitching dongle.
 15. The information handling system wirelessly havingan audio switching dongle of claim 9 further comprising: the controllerintegrated circuit to receive a second switching command pursuant touser switch input received from the user from a third wireless speakerand microphone device via the audio switching dongle wireless radiosystem; and the second switching command from the third wireless speakerand microphone device to switch, via the controller integrated circuit,the active audio data stream to a third, parallel Wi-Fi protocolwireless link with the third wireless speaker and microphone device andto transition the second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device to standby in response toreceiving the second switching command.
 16. A method of seamlessswitching by an audio switching dongle between a first wireless speakerand microphone device and a second wireless speaker and microphonedevice comprising: establishing a first Wi-Fi protocol wireless link,via a wireless radio system of the audio switching dongle coupled to adata bus of an information handling system, to transmit and receive theaudio data on an active audio data stream with a first wireless speakerand microphone device; establishing, via the audio switching dongle, asecond, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with the second wirelessspeaker and microphone device in standby; receiving a switching commandfrom the second wireless speaker and microphone device pursuant to auser switch input from a user; activating, via a controller integratedcircuit, the second, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link with thesecond wireless speaker and microphone device to transmit and receivethe audio data of the active audio data stream in response to receivingthe switching command; and sending a standby command to ceasetransmitting and receiving the audio data on the active data stream tothe first wireless speaker and microphone device in response toreceiving the switching command.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein theaudio switching dongle is integrated with a wireless network interfacedevice disposed into the housing of the information handling system. 18.The method of claim 16 further comprising: the controller integratedcircuit to store a wireless communication profile of the first wirelessspeaker and microphone device in a dongle memory with a second wirelesscommunication profile for the second wireless speaker and microphonedevice to maintain the first Wi-Fi protocol wireless link and thesecond, parallel Wi-Fi protocol wireless link.
 19. The method of claim16, wherein receiving a switching signal command from the secondwireless speaker and microphone device seamlessly switches the activeaudio data stream to the second wireless speaker and microphone devicewithout interaction with the information handling system or interruptionof the active audio transmission and reception with the informationhandling system.
 20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:receiving a second switching command pursuant to user switch inputreceived from the user from a third wireless speaker and microphonedevice; and switching the active audio data stream to a third, parallelWi-Fi protocol wireless link with the third wireless speaker andmicrophone device; and sending a second standby command to ceasetransmitting and receiving the audio data on the active data stream tothe second wireless speaker and microphone device in response toreceiving the second switching command.